Happiness
by SabineHolterman
Summary: This is just a short story about what might ahve happened after Pride and Predjudice ended! Please read and review!


Disclaimer: Hello all

Disclaimer: Hello all! This is my first ever Pride and Prejudice story so I would appreciate any feed back and reviews. (But please be gentle!) So of course I do not own anything to do with Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth yadda yadda yadda. If I did I would not have ended the story where it ends! Have a Great Day!

"Good morning Mother and Father." Elizabeth said as she sat down at the breakfast table the morning after she had formally became engaged to Mr. Darcy. Truly she had never felt so happy in her whole life and believed her happiness was more than Jane's who had been more radiant than ever when she had gotten engaged to Mr. Bingley. Jane had always been the beauty of Longbourn, but when Mr. Darcy had proposed for the second time and called her the loveliest, Lizzy had felt more beautiful than any woman in all of England.

"Well my dear Lizzy and Jane what do you have planned for today? I am sure you would want to head over to Netherfield to see your intendeds." Mr. Bennett said with a little smirk on his face.

"Oh no my dear today we must go to town to see the dressmaker and find the fabrics for Jane and Elizabeth's wedding gowns." Mrs. Bennett said with a little giggle and gleam that shown out of her eyes. "Your must look absolutely splendid on your wedding days. Yes an outfit befitting a queen, to become Mrs. Bingley and Mr. Darcy."

"Ooh!!" Kitty suddenly let out a moan of disappointment and cried into the porridge sitting in front of her.

"Why Kitty whatever is the matter?" Jane asked alarmed by Kitty's sudden crying fit.

"Everyone is getting married except me" She wailed. "Even Charlotte Lucas has been married and Maria now has a gentleman visiting her and she is only 14, two years younger than me!"

"Oh hush Kitty, your whining is getting on my nerves." Mrs. Bennett scolded her and was net with a fresh wave of wailing.

Elizabeth not feeling sorry and concerned for her sister's well being as Jane did, but more hoping to stop Kitty's incessant wailing said with false brightness, "Kitty do not worry so. Once Jane and I have been married you will have all of the young gentlemen to yourself."

Kitty's wailing quieted slightly.

"And as to Maria Lucas's beau, I happen to know that Lord Lucas has declared Maria cannot marry until she is 18 years old. I am sure you will have found someone by then."

"Really?" Kitty asked as she wiped away her tears.

"Yes Kitty." Elizabeth assured her and breathed a sigh of relief as her younger sister smiled. Lizzy had hoped Kitty would change once she was out of Lydia's influence, but her moppy attitude since learning of her two eldest sister's engagements had Elizabeth's hopes.

"Oh all right enough of that fussing Jane, Elizabeth hurry and finish we need to head out soon to go to the milliners.

"Oh uh Mama, I am afraid Jane and I can not accompany you today. We promised to meet Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy later to discuss a few details, but we can go the next day I am quite sure we have nothing to occupy our time tomorrow." Elizabeth quickly supplied once she saw her mother begin to protest her quickly made up lie.

"But…"

"Mama please?" Lizzy asked and earned a chuckle from Mr. Bennett who knew what Lizzy was doing.

"Oh all right." Mrs. Bennett gave in and slumped down in her chair.

It was half an hour later as Jane and Elizabeth made their way down the road to town that Jane finally let her feelings out at Lizzy's bidding. "Jane please talk to me. I am sorry you were part of my lie, but I wished it to be just you and me today."

"oh Lizzy I am not mad I just do not like lying especially to our own mother."

"I know Jane and I am sorry but you must understand why she really wants to go to town. She wishes to inform everyone and anyone she knows or might meet what illustrious matches her daughters have made."

"Yes I know but…"

"Remember what happened at the Netherfield Ball? Her gossiping lead to Mr. Bingley quitting Netherfield and you almost loosing him forever. I for one do not want to chance loosing Mr. Darcy because of Mama's prattling."

Jane was silent a moment before she spoke. "all right Lizzy, I guess you are right. It just does not make me feel well to deceive her so."

"I figure today we can discuss with the milliner what we would like and convince him to disregard anything Mama suggests and hopefully we will not look like overdressed peacocks on our wedding day."

"As much as I do not deceiving Mama that is a good plan Lizzy." Jane agreed and then kept up the sisterly chatter she and Elizabeth had always so easily enjoyed because of their close bond.

When they finally reached the center of Meryton where the Milliner's shop was located, they noticed that although it was still early, the town was full of people. Everywhere you looked there were townsfolk rushing back and forth in and out of shops making Elizabeth extremely grateful Mrs. Bennett was not with her and Jane.

As they pushed there way into the shop, Jane and Lizzy were greeted with a barrage female voices gossiping as they looked at different folds of fabrics. "Well here we go." said Lizzy and Taking Jane's arm in her own they made their way to the counter. They were almost there when Maria Lucas called to them and made her way over to greet them. "Lizzy! Jane! Hello can you believe how busy it is in here today!"

"Yes it seems every Mother and daughter in all of Meryton had come shopping today." Jane agreed as she looked at the women bustling about all around her.

"Hello Miss Bennett, Miss Elizabeth it is very good to see you." Lady Lucas then greeted Lizzy and Jane.

"Good Morning Lady Lucas." Jane obediently said and dropped a quick courtesy.

"Jane I have to say I am so very happy to hear of your pending nuptials with Mr. Bingley. Such a fortunate match you make with each other." Lady Lucas exclaimed.

"Thank you Lady Lucas." Jane answered back with a small smile. "I know we shall be very happy together."

Lizzy had to bite her tongue to keep from speaking. She knew it would utterly mortify Jane if she made a scene in the idle of all those women, so she bit back the scathing remark she had in response to Lady Lucas's own "heartfelt" congratulations.

"Now Miss Elizabeth after Jane has been married it is up to you to next find a husband. It will be quite a task with the militia gone. All the handsome officers you could pick from." She said sounding briefly like Mrs. Bennett making Lizzy realize how Lady Lucas and her mother were not that unlike.

"Actually," Lizzy said through strained even tones. "It so happens that the other day Mr. Darcy asked me to marry him and yesterday we became officially engaged." Lizzy watched the reaction of Lady Lucas and Maria and was pleased to see the shock that quickly took residence. "In fact Jane and I were talking last night and we have decided that we would like to have a double wedding in the upcoming few months."

The next thing she knew there were whispers all around her as the news of the engagement of Elizabeth Bennett to wealthy Mr. Darcy spread like a wildfire trough the brush.

"My very best congratulations to you Miss Elizabeth. I know you shall be very happy as well. Such a fine estate you shall be mistress of."

"You know of Pemberly Lady Lucas?"

"Oh yes! Of course I have never been there but the way Mr. Collins has described it to me it sounds absolutely heavenly."

"Mother!" Maria suddenly exclaimed. "Please control yourself."

"Yes yes my dear, well we must go again my congratulations to you and your mother. Tell her I will call on her soon. Come Maria."

Lizzy I think we better get home before word of your announcement spreads to Mama." Jane said after Lady Lucas ad Maria had left.

"I think you are right we will just have to control Mama's decisions when we come another day." It was just as they were leaving the store that they heard their name being called out.

"Jane, Miss Bennett!" The jolly voice of Mr. Bingley shouted out to them. Elizabeth and Jane turned to behold Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley coming to a stop and dismounting the horse upon which they rode. Elizabeth couldn't help but admire the fine figure her betrothed presented as he got down from his mount. If only it wouldn't embarrass Jane, she would very much praise her fiancé as having the finest seat in all of England.

"What a fine coincidence this is. We were just on our way to pay a call on you weren't we Darcy?"

"Indeed." Mr. Darcy relied in his short tone which Elizabeth noticed had changed since yesterday. When she had first met Darcy there was disdain and a harshness to him, now he was still the same old formal gentleman but there was a definite happy tone to his voice and a slight smile that played on his lips.

"Yes we were, but now that we have found you perhaps we could all go for a walk through the Allen grove. The leaves are turning and it is quite a beautiful sight." Mr. Bingley suggested.

"That sounds lovely Charles but we must get back to Longbourn." Jane answered him in a tone that did not hide her nervousness.

"Nothing is the matter I hope?" Charles asked the worry laced throughout his voice.

"Oh no." Elizabeth quickly interjected. "We just promised our mother we would not be out to long and we have spent too much time already. Perhaps you two fine gentlemen would be so kind as to escort us home."

"It would be our honor." Darcy supplied and took Elizabeth's arm in his own as they walked down the road to Longbourn.

Elizabeth was very aware of the people watching their small party. She could hear the gossips now chattering back and forth trying to figure out how she and Jane had managed to become engaged to such rich men. Just as Darcy she detested gossip, but knew it would be awhile before someone caused such exciting news and she would just have to wait it out.

After they had walked about ten minutes keeping up a pleasant chatter as if they had always been this comfortable with each other, Elizabeth realized things were perfect. Her she walked with her sister, dearest friend and confidant, her very amiable betrothed who made her sister extremely happy, and the most handsome man in all of England who she had lately learned was utterly devoted to her. Things were perfect and she knew they would only get better.

Ugh I hate endings! I always feel I do so poorly on them. Well that is it. I have to say this story went in a different direction than I intended but I am very happy with it. So please read and review and again Have a Great Day!


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